1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to a film processing apparatus and a film processing method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a film processing apparatus and a film processing method which are capable of always correcting blurring of an image with a high degree of accuracy, for example, in an operation to reproduce an image from a cinematographic film or an operation to record an image into a cinematographic film.
2. Description of Related Art
A continuous feeding method or an intermittent feeding method is typically adopted as a method for running a cinematographic film in a film processing apparatus such as a film recording apparatus for recording images into a cinematographic film, a projector for projecting images recorded on a cinematographic film or a telecinematographic apparatus for converting an image recorded on a cinematographic film into a television signal.
With the continuous feeding method, the cinematographic film is run at a constant speed by means of a capstan. A light repeating a one dimensional operation is applied to the cinematographic film in a direction perpendicular to the running direction of the film. With the intermittent feeding method, on the other hand, the cinematographic film is run intermittently by moving the film by one frame at one time using perforations, that is, rectangular sprocket holes bored on the film and arranged along lines in the longitudinal direction of the film. The perforations are engaged with registration pins which are driven by a cam mechanism to run the cinematographic film intermittently.
In the case of the continuous feeding method, even though the magnitude of a load applied to the cinematographic film is small, it is necessary to synchronize the running of an illuminating light with the running of the film. If the running of the illuminating light is not synchronized perfectly with the running of the cinematographic film, jitters and/or flickers in the displayed image are generated in the longitudinal direction of the film in some cases.
In the case of the intermittent feeding method, on the other hand, while the number of jitters or flickers can be reduced to a small value in comparison with the continuous feeding method, it is necessary to intermittently halt the cinematographic film at a predetermined position. If the cinematographic film is not halted at the predetermined position, the image projected on the screen blurs, deteriorating the picture quality of the image. As a result, the watcher feels a sense of incompatibility.
In order to solve the problems described above, a sensor for detecting the position of the cinematographic film is provided. A signal output by the sensor is used for correcting the blurring of the image.
In many cases, however, a typical complete cinematographic film comprises a plurality of partial cinematographic films concatenated with each other. As a technique of joining a partial cinematographic film to another, there are provided, among other methods, a technique of sticking splicing tapes on both sides of the ends of two cinematographic films to produce a butt joint as shown in FIG. 11(A) and a technique of cutting notches at the ends of each partial cinematographic film engaging the notches and with each other to form a lap joint as shown in FIG. 11(B).
In the case of a complete cinematographic film comprising a plurality of partial cinematographic films joined with each other like the one described above, the joint portion consequently has a thickness and other physical properties different from the rest. It is thus difficult to correctly detect the position of the joint portion of the cinematographic film by using the film position sensor. In such a case, the amount of image blurring is adversely increased in some cases in an attempt to compensate for the image blurring based on a signal output by the sensor.
Addressing the problems described above, the present invention allows image blurring to be always compensated for with a high degree of accuracy.